Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor believes he’s proving he belongs at the top level this season, with manager Brendan Rodgers starting him in big games in all competitions, reports The Scottish Sun.

The 24-year-old was recently singled out for praise by Rodgers who compared him to Bayern Munich legend Philipp Lahm for his versatility and tactical intelligence.

McGregor has risen through the youth ranks to the Celtic first-team, making his senior debut in 2013 and going on to make 159 appearances in all competitions.

The Scottish international has been a regular in the starting lineup this season, racking up 49 games and contributing 18 goals, and believes his best form is as a result of the trust from his manager.

“I think as a player you want to get the trust of your manager. For him to put you into the big games, to show that he trusts you to play well and get goals, you take a massive amount of confidence from that, too.”

McGregor played against the likes of Bayern Munich in the Champions League – scoring in October’s 2-1 defeat at Parkhead – and Paris Saint-Germain. He says he was delighted to get on the scoresheet against the German giants and proved he belongs at the top level.

“Bayern Munich was a massive game. Having the confidence to go and just stick it under the keeper was great. After that kind of experience, when you have that confidence of knowing you’re good enough, you relax and concentrate on getting the technique right.”

“I saw the stat about me scoring in five competitions. It is a good achievement, considering it’s all over different levels of competition. I think you’ve just always got to prove yourself to everybody. Every time I play for Celtic I try to prove I can play here.”

About the Author

Crippy Cooke

Crippy can be found on Twitter (@CrippyCooke) He is a sports journalist who has written for the Independent, Bleacher Report, Huffington Post, Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph among others. Crippy treats football gossip with a dash of cynicism and loves tearing apart outlandish rumours.

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